Neil Reed, player Bob Knight choked in 1997, dead of cardiac arrest

Neil Reed, the former Indiana University basketball player who went public with a claim that Bob Knight choked him in practice, died Thursday of cardiac arrest at age 36.

His death was confirmed by the sports editor of the Santa Maria (Calif.) Times. Reed spent the last three seasons as the freshman basketball coach at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria.

Late Thursday afternoon a vigil was being held at the school for Reed.

Reed played high school basketball at East Jefferson High School in Metairie, La. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Reed died Thursday in Nipomo, Calif., after suffering a massive heart attack on Wednesday. That information was confirmed by former East Jefferson Coach Jim Robarts. Nipomo is located about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles in San Luis Obispo County.